Train passengers had a harrowing time as hundreds of activists of various farmer organisations blocked the Amritsar-Delhi rail route on Thursday.

Train passengers had a harrowing time as hundreds of activists of various farmer organisations blocked the Amritsar-Delhi rail route on Thursday.

The blockade at Manawala railway station was organised to observe the death anniversary of a farmer, Angrej Singh, who had died during a protest in 2004. It started at 1pm and was lifted at 3.30pm.

Various trains, including the Shatabdi Express and Shan-e-Punjab, were delayed. Some passengers preferred to sit inside the train, while others alighted to find other modes of transport.

Activists of the 17 organisations on dharna asked the Punjab government to immediately implement all demands agreed upon in principle.

They demanded that electricity bills of tubewells to the tune of Rs 357 crore be waived and pending bills of farm labourers waived too. Other demands included Rs 2,000 monthly pension for farmers or farm labourers above the age of 60.

There was a heavy police presence deployed at the railway station to deal with any eventuality.